Sandor Marai Forum

Sandor Marai

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What else has he written?

>>By Sybil (Sunday, 26 Jan 2003 02:14)

JUST STARTED THE BOOK AND WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MARAI

>>By ANNIEG (Sunday, 26 Jan 2003 02:14)

Hello,

Last night I attended a talk at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, DC, by Carol Brown Janeway, who is the editor/translator of Embers. She said the her publisher, Knopf, has purchased the rights to 23 of Marai's novels and will be translating them (from the Hungarian!) and bringing them out in the next few years. She translated Embers herself from German and French editions, but has secured the services of a Hungarina poet named Sgeti, who lives in Norfolk, England, to do the rest of the translations. She said that they looked at submissions from more than 100 potential translators before they chose him. Ms. Janeway will also be collaborating with Jean-Claude Carriere and Milos Foreman to bring Embers to the screen. If you are interested in reading another work by Marai, the only other one in English at the moment is his Memoir of Hungary. I read it after Embers. It is one of the greatest, most moving books I have ever read. I was pleased last night when I heard Ms. Janeway say that she thought the Memoir of Hungary was the best book ever written about Europe during World War II. It's hard to find, but sometimes you can get it through Amazon.com and they also have copies at Alibris.com.

Ms. Janeway told a little bit about Marai's life. He and his wife lost a young son during World War II, but they adopted a young boy who was staying in the same house with them in the village to which they fled from Budapest during WWII (this is described in the Memoir of Hungary). After they came to the US, the son settled in San Diego and eventually Marai and his wife did, too. In 1987, Marai's wife died. In 1989, his adopted son, whom he loved very much, died very suddenly of pancreatic cancer. Two months later, Marai went out and bought a gun, arranged all his affairs very carefully, called the police to come to his house to find him (so that he wouldn't be found by one of his three granddaughters), and committed suicide. Six months later, Hungary was a free country, and his work could be published there again after 40 years!

So sorry to go on and on like this, but it was a wonderful talk. Someone could write a book or do a film about Marai's life and the rediscovery of his work (another interesting story with many twists and turns).

Anyway, I hope that this answers your question about additonal work by Sandor Marai.

-Mary

>>By Mary (Sunday, 26 Jan 2003 02:14)

I am wondering how much Embers is based on life experience. What schools did Marai go to?

>>By Anna (Wednesday, 5 Feb 2003 01:00)

I loved the book "Embers". Was completely fascinated by it and am presenting a review tomorrow to the reading group to which I belong with eight others. My address is:
cobradah@bigpond.com

>>By Diana Sapsford (Mrs.) (Wednesday, 5 Feb 2003 12:28)

I am reading the works of Marai in german . Germany has already translated seven novels of Marai which are great pieces of literary works. Also sanor Marai's diaries have been translated in german that consists of more than 20 volumes. He wrote 60 books and his extraordinary creativity is astonishing. Embers , shamefuly translated from the german version to english , so if you want to really appreciate the quality of his work , you should wait until the real translation to be done. There is another book of him (the first one ever translated in english from hungarian) available in english called " memories of Hungary" which is a diary-like book about the envasion of his homeland by russian army . it is a wonderful book that you will find many great ideas and references to other great writers and intelectuals.

If you need a more extensive information about this writer let me know.

Thanks

>>By Andreh (Monday, 10 Mar 2003 02:36)

embers is the most poignant book i have read this year.I cant wait to read his other books.

>>By s.nagesh (Tuesday, 8 Apr 2003 12:27)

I consider myself a lucky person, as I can read Marai's books in Hungarian. I really adore how he writes about human feelings and the nature of the society he either lives in or of that already gone and which he utterly misses. I am amazed how he manages to capture the details we - ordinary people - cannot find the words for, but when we read about them we suddenly realize :"Ah, that's exactly how I feel!" or "Yes, how true it is!" Most of the books I have read by Marai were written in the 1940s but it's just astonishing how applicable the ideas are to the issues of the current world. Just now, I am reading a collection of articles he wrote for Hungarian newspapers while travelling across the world. It's a nice collection of impressions againg picking on details that we might have never thought of when visiting Venice, for instance, and Marai-like visualisations of places we will never have a chance to see in a setting he saw them or dreamt of them.

For those looking for a wonderful collection of impressions, I recommend Four Seasons (it has not been published in English yet but that could be a likely title for the book). For those more politically oriented, I recommend a book by Marai, which will probably not be translated into a foreign language, as the addressee of the book is the Hungarian nation, but it is amazing that in 1942 when everything looks as if Germany was to win the war, he writes about his vision of desirable post-war organization of Europe, common market, currency union etc.

In sum, he is a great person, I think. Though when I first read his biography (the early years), I must admit, I had more than mixed feelings about him. I should have started with his work.

>>By m. (Friday, 4 Jul 2003 17:11)

Well, it is realy a great feeling to read so many positive comments of an author who is from the same country as I...I am Hungarian - and at the moment very-very proud. I just one to say that I am a Marai-specialist and if anybody wants to know anything about His life or work just write me an e-mail and I will help as I can...
e-mail: sipi09@freemail.hu

>>By Peter (Wednesday, 9 Jul 2003 04:09)

I've just finished "Embers". I disliked the translation but got a hint of the atmosphere of the original.

This is the first work of Sándor Márai that I've read and most of the reviews that I've read seem to assume that we have a 'reliable' narrator. Part of the interest to me was the possibilty that the obsession of the central character may be a delusion.

The world of this novel called to mind Joseph Roth.

Any recommendations for further reading (in a decent translation!)?

>>By Blazes (Saturday, 29 May 2004 10:11)

I am interested in learning more about this author, and I welcome any information someone would be willing to share.

>>By jeanie (Saturday, 11 Sep 2004 08:23)

I just read "El Ultimo Encuentro" by Sándor Márai and liked it very much. He uses a very intimate approach of the main character in this book. What other novel do you recommend?

>>By Genias (Thursday, 4 May 2006 00:15)

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